KONO, Sierra Leone — More than 250 young farmers in Kono have delivered 650 bags of organic rice to the World Food Programme (WFP) for Sierra Leone’s National School Feeding Programme, signaling a shift from the district’s diamond-mining legacy toward sustainable agriculture.
The rice was grown and processed entirely by the Yormatah Youth Farmers Association under the government’s Feed Salone initiative, which promotes food self-sufficiency and youth employment. The delivery comes five months after a NLe1.7 million contract was signed with technical support from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Food Systems Resilience Project (FSRP-SL).
Agriculture Minister Henry Musa Kpaka hailed the achievement as proof that “transformation is possible,” describing it as a move “from diamonds to sustainable agriculture.” He urged other districts to follow Kono’s lead in using farming as a tool for economic development.
Once reliant on imported supplies, WFP now sources 40 percent of its school meal ingredients locally and aims to raise that to 60 percent. In 2024, local farmers earned over US$2.4 million from WFP purchases, helping feed more than 270,000 schoolchildren while strengthening rural economies.
Kono District Council Chairman Augustine Sahr Sheku said the project aligns with national goals for inclusive development and food security.
For Kono, the initiative is more than just delivering rice; it is a redefinition of the district’s economic identity.
Make we do am for we sef now